Cyclone Women No. 20, Men No. 23 Entering NCAA’s

Courtesy: cyclones.com

Release: 03/10/2014

Related Links

More from Cyclones.tv

NEW ORLEANS – The Iowa State men’s and women’s track and field teams are both ranked in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s top 25 entering the national championships. The Cyclone women sit at No. 20, while the men make their season debut at No. 23.

Four Cyclone student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Championships, two from both the men’s and women’s teams. Edward Kemboi and Cameron Ostrowski will compete in the 800-meter run and high jump, while Ejiro Okoro and Christina Hilman will compete in the 800m and the shot put, respectively.

Kemboi enters the championships with the top overall seed and a mark of 1:45.98. The time is good for the fastest run in the United States and is the seventh-fastest in the world this year. The Eldoret, Kenya, native is a two-time All-American and a three-time Big 12 champion after becoming the first athlete in Big 12 history to win both the 800m and 1,000-meter run in the same year. Ostrowski enters as the seventh seed, with a personal-best mark of 7 feet, 3.75 inches. The Cyclone jumper set the mark at this year’s conference championships to capture the men’s title.

Hillman held the nation's top mark at 57 feet, 5.5 inches until conference-championship weekend. The Dover, Del., native has won five of six shot-put events this season and is undefeated in collegiate competition. Hillman’s lone non-first place finish came at the USA Indoor Championships, where she finished sixth. Okoro looks to notch her second All-America performance in as many years at this year’s championships. Okoro will be the No. 3-ranked athlete in the field in the 800m, with a season and personal best of 2:03.91. The Birmingham, England, native set the mark at the ISU Classic, breaking Edith Nakiyingi’s 13-year program record (2:04.84).

The NCAA Championships are held in Albuquerque, N.M., this weekend (March 14-15) at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The event is hosted by the University of New Mexico.